Sunday, 24 March 2013

'Original' video games, keeping things close and miscellany.

I previously explored some lazy cover art.

Oh dear, this is just a cacophony of lethargy and those responsible take the birthday cake.

Games of yesteryear remade with a new title, bullshit story, tinkered sprites and miscellany appears innovative.

The very notion is bursting with more energy than a fitness junkie.

I cannot be sure how many exist but these hold each others hand.

What can you call shit like this?  Is it correct to call them rip-offs because they gave the original developers design credit?

Excuse me Mr. Games Designer, can I nick your idea and interface, pass it off as my own and hope nobody notices so they won't organise a hit on me?

Why would you give permission to the desperate assholes?  Oh I know, it's this thing that makes the world go round and is also said to be the route of all evil...

Dog Pound is basically the Canadian remake of 1979 Alan Clarke classic Scum which ensures that Ray Winstone will always be 'The Daddy'.

Video games can upset the consumer with their uninspiring design and frustrating mechanics.  I begin by introducing a new type of animal.

Okay, let's get down to business.

Conan, Mindscape 1990 

This irritates like a scratch that you can't quite reach...




Conan explores the Hyborean world in the company of Greek, Norse and Egyptian legend.  Whatever right?  Okay, here are some more random screens...






Okay, if you didn't realise already, here's the original and some 'equivalent' scenes.

Myth, System 3 (C64) 1989





Interestingly, Conan ends after walking like an Egyptian, meaning the final shmup stage and Dameron was totally omitted.

I guess that even Mindscape concluded that the prospect of Conan flying was bordering on the insane.

After obtaining the rights for a so-so film, what they did next tops the previous shit sundae.

The Last Starfighter, Mindscape 1990



So you'd expect an accurate recreation of events featured in the 1983 movie?

The following scenes that took centre stage in the film include:







No, they actually occurred in a 1986 C64 classic...




It appears that System 3 and Graftgold should be flattered but I bet they weren't given too much financial reward.

Whatever, it's complete bullshit.

Right, getting away from that nonsense, let's move onto to something that is the same but churned out in a different guise.  In this case, on the NES.

Darkman, Ocean 1991




Robocop 2, Ocean 1991




The same principle was also on C64 cart.

Seconds out, same round in 1991 and 1987 respectively (both on Master System).


Heavyweight Champ
Rocky
Like a one-sided fight, this rematch was totally unnecessary.

This is a strange one.  Hudson Soft's Adventure Island was originally supposed to be a port of Wonder Boy but eventually became a 'different' franchise due to deals made in the background.

Although this isn't the original release, I've chosen 1992 and Super Adventure Island on the SNES.



Wonder Boy, Sega 1986 (Arcade)



Fact - An unknown quantity of pissed off Irem geezers responsible for titles such as In the Hunt, Gun Force and R-Type formed Nazca Corporation due to inactivity.

Before SNK bought Nazca out, the look of Metal Slug in 1996 is living proof of this.  Unlike the mystery of Aicom and Pulstar, we have the confirmed reality of this.

Metal Black, Taito 1991



Border Down, G.Rev 2003



Border Down is the spiritual sequel to Metal Black and like Nazca (albeit in different circumstances), G.Rev is the result of a huddle of former Taito employees.

Finally, unless you know the facts, you'd immediately holler 'wait a minute, that's a right fucking rip off' of originally, a 1991 C64 classic.

Due to the release of cult action movie that Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren happily rode in 1992, Accolade obtained the Carolco movie licence and ordered developer The Code Monkeys to alter sprites and some backgrounds.  The outcome was shat into existence to obviously cash in on silver screen success.

You see, obtaining rights is more powerful than being able to control the weather...

Let the Mega Drive cesspool commence.













Now for bits of all things Turrican II, Factor 5 and Amiga...











I chose the Amiga version because it's more appropriate in look.

Oh, I'm sure you'll agree that the respective endings differ in 'quality'.

It is worth noting that the shmup sections were completely removed and replaced with bollocks that is even more expendable than a used tissue.

I know it's not the same thing but just for fun, consider this.

Can you imagine the alternative universe of SNK assuming the rights to Street Fighter and Capcom stole King of Fighters?

Further preposterous ambitions include Sega owning Mario, Konami kidnapping Zelda and Square controlling Umbrella experiments.

If any of that happens in my lifetime, I will take flying lessons from a herd of elephants.

Before I run out of continues, here's Gunlord from independent developer NG:Dev.Team who also created Pulstar wannabe Last Hope for the Neo Geo and Dreamcast.





This can't be anything but a tribute and/or homage to Turrican.

I hope that's unlocked a few secret levels.

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